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Recent issues Stamps & coins
Christmas 2023
For many people, the time-honoured ritual of giving and receiving presents is their favourite part of Christmas Day.
The four Christmas stamps for 2023 depict beautiful gifts steeped in symbolism. Gold, frankincense and myrrh are represented by the metallic colours in the wrappings. The inclusion of a sprig of native flora –clematis, pōhutukawa, silver fern and hebe - signifies the unique Christmas experiences of Aotearoa New Zealand. Finally, each gift is finished with a silhouette tag that references the Christmas story.
Technical information
Date of issue: 4 October 2023
Designer: Helen Perkins and Nick Jarvie, NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Brebner Print, Napier, New Zealand
Withdrawal date: 3 October 2024
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 20th Anniversary
Bringing JRR Tolkien’s epic quest of hobbits, humans and elves to a close, The Return of the King marked the end of a huge filming achievement. The final The Lord of the Rings film ended a long journey for actors, extras and filmworkers from Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.
Following its release, The Return of the King went on to break records at the box office and the Academy Awards, winning in every category for which it was nominated (11 in total). Oscars for visual effects, costume design and make-up illustrated the skills of workers at Wellington’s Wētā Workshop and Wētā FX. As Nancy Swarbrick notes in Te Ara - The Encylopedia of New Zealand, the film’s stunning financial and critical success further increased international interest in Aotearoa New Zealand as a place to make bigbudget movies.
Technical information
Date of issue: 1 November 2023
Designer: NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Brebner Print, Napier, New Zealand
Withdrawal date: 31 October 2024
2024 Year of the Dragon
The dragon is important both as a Zodiac animal and as a piece of cultural iconography. An ancient Chinese folk tale explains the placement of the Zodiac as a ‘Great Race’, with all the creatures competing to be first. While versions differ, all tales feature the dragon’s flight being delayed by some good deed - in a popular version, it helps villagers by bringing them rain, and blows the stranded Rabbit safely to shore, making it come fifth.
With such a combination of virtuousness and power, it’s no wonder that dragons often feature at the forefront of new year celebrations.
Technical information
Date of issue: 6 December 2023
Designer: YMC Design, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Brebner Print, Napier, New Zealand
Withdrawal date: 5 December 2024
Marine Reserves
Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine environment is 15 times larger than its land mass. Along with the privilege of having such a large and bountiful ocean surrounding us comes the responsibility to look after it.
There are currently 44 marine reserves, but they cover less than 1% of our ocean. In the future, and with the support of New Zealanders, the number of reserves will be expanded, and together with other forms of protection will form a conservation network that protects the full spectrum of marine species in our waters.
These stamps offer a tantalising snapshot of some of the many charismatic creatures that call our marine reserves home.
Technical information
Date of issue: 7 February 2024
Designer: Hannah Fortune, NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Brebner Print, Napier, New Zealand
Withdrawal date: 6 February 2025
Making Games: A Developing Industry
New Zealand has been entertaining the world with blockbuster movies for over two decades, and in the past few years a new player has entered the arena.
In terms of exports, New Zealand is probably best known for meat, dairy and forestry. In economic terms, video games are joining these industries as a low-key heavyweight for New Zealand. The industry’s export earnings here are higher than Australia’s despite the population disparity, and as of 2022 games had brought in more revenue than wool.
Technical information
Date of issue: 6 March 2024
Designer: Chris Jones, Graphetti, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Brebner Print, Napier, New Zealand
Withdrawal date: 5 March 2025`
Veterans
Are all veterans elderly and retired?
Who are New Zealand’s veterans?
The six veterans of New Zealand's armed forces featured in this series of stamps were all deployed from 1995 or later, and sometimes deployed multiple times. They represent the more than 42,000 living veterans who have served New Zealand in dangerous places with the New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy or the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
They may march in the Anzac Day parades with the older veterans of previous conflicts and wars, but these veterans aren’t retired from the workforce; they have left the New Zealand Defence Force and now live and work in our communities. They are ordinary people who at times in their lives have given extraordinary service for their country.
Technical information
Date of issue: 3 April 2024
Designer: Helen Perkins, NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand
Printer: Brebner Print, Napier, New Zealand
Withdrawal date: 2 April 2025
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 20th Anniversary
Bringing the epic quest of hobbits, humans and elves to a close, The Return of the King marked the end of a huge filming achievement. The final The Lord of the Rings film closed a long journey for actors, extras and filmworkers from around Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.
Held at the refurbished Embassy Theatre, the world premiere of The Return of the King brought Wellington to a standstill with a parade that began at Parliament and featured 200 extras in costume, and that demonstrated the growing profile of Aotearoa New Zealand’s film industry on the world stage.
Technical information
Date of issue: December 2023
Designer: Sacha Lees, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: Royal Dutch Mint
Worldwide limited mintage:
• 'The Lighting of the Beacons' set of three 1oz silver proof coins: 300 sets
• 'The Coronation' 2oz silver proof coin: 300
King Charles III 75th Birthday
On 14 November 2023 His Majesty King Charles III celebrated his 75th birthday. Born at 9:14pm on 14 November 1948 weighing 7lb 6oz, Charles Philip Arthur George is the first-born son of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Late Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Traditionally, British monarchs have celebrated their birthdays twice a year. Each year, Aotearoa New Zealand observes the King’s birthday as a public holiday (formerly Queen’s Birthday). The commemoration of the monarch’s birthday is always observed in June, when New Zealanders are treated to a winter break thanks to the timing of the holiday in the Northern Hemisphere.
Technical information
Date of issue: November 2023
Designer: Fuller Design, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: The Commonwealth Mint
Worldwide limited mintage:
• 2oz silver proof coin: 300
• ¼oz gold proof coin: 300
2024 Kiwi
The roroa/great spotted kiwi (Apteryx maxima) is one of the largest of the five kiwi species that reside in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This species predominantly lives in the north-western South Island, particularly in Kahurangi, Paparoa and Arthur’s Pass National Parks. The 2024 Kiwi coin highlights a new population established in 2004 by the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP), on the eastern shores of Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park. The RNRP is one of the original mainland island projects; it is a 5,000-hectare block of forest where intensive predator control is undertaken to provide a safe home for roroa and other endemic species. Today, about 50 roroa live on the shores of Lake Rotoiti and in the surrounding beech forest.
Kiwi have become a flagship species for conservation efforts and are often used as a measure of the state of our natural environment. They are a taonga (treasure) cherished by all cultures in New Zealand, and are a symbol of the uniqueness of New Zealand wildlife and the value of our natural heritage. Māori, in particular, have strong cultural, spiritual and historical associations with kiwi.
Technical information
Date of issue: December 2023
Designer: Stevan Stojanovic, Ōtaki, New Zealand
Mint: BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH
